Chicago will host a new cocktail conference this spring. Called Chicago Style, it will take place May 7 to 10, after the gala for the James Beard Awards.

While the convention’s format is familiar — seminars, parties and competitions for bartenders, bar owners, spirit makers and others in the industry — its philosophical mission sets it apart. The three founders, all women, plan to use the gathering to address social problems, including sexism, substance abuse and a lack of diversity, that the bar business has started to grapple with over the past year or so.